Social outcomes of child-witch accusations in Malawi: an investigation of discourses and practices of abundant life church ministers

Abstract

There has been a resurgence of witch accusations in Malawi which in its new form includes child-witch accusations. This research secured detailed information on social outcomes of child-witch accusations by studying the discourses and practices of Abundant Life Church Ministers. The paper argues that the practices and discourses of the church ministers in dealing with child-witch accusations have to some extent contributed to the negative social outcomes. While this study considers cultural and sociological explanations of the child-witch accusations, it does not intend to discount the religious values on belief in witchcraft. This study used an ethnographic approach to arrive at the findings. I applied anthropological research methods in collecting data including; interviews, participant observations and a small survey. The most profound findings of the study were that exorcism on the accused child by church ministers at times confirmed to the community that a child is a witch, resulting to a child living with a “witch” label for life. Secondly, suffering and evil in the Central Region of Malawi is majorly attributed to interpersonal causal ontologies of which child-witchcraft is primary. The foundations for child witch accusations majorly included; socialeconomic factors, rumors and suspicions, behavior of the child, series of misfortunes following a child or community, and incurable sicknesses. The social outcomes of child-witch accusations included; banishment, teasing and bulling, stigmatization, increased child-witch accusations, mistreatment of the child, rape, insecurity of the community, lose of trust in church ministers and at a very small scale there was an indication of conversions. This research is important because it seeks to address the issue of child-witch accusations from an African worldview level—as Samuel Kunhiyop rightly noted, “Although many Africans are Christians, their worldview has not been transformed” (2008, 385). Therefore, the research came up with recommendations; first, a comprehensive exegesis and contextualization of scriptures addressing witchcraft is needed. Secondly, the doctrine of suffering and sin should be adequately addressed in Bible studies and pulpits, as the research indicated that there is a correlation between suffering and child-witch accusations. Thirdly, advocacy and social actions in protecting the accused children is urgently needed in the central region of Malawi.